food HALP! me cook brussel sprouts and/or asparagus =)

grantmichaels

grantmichaels

We bought some veggies we've never tried as grown children ... Brussel sprouts were so nasty when I tried them as a kid, I don't think I've ever had a second taste to be honest ...

6EC1FCA9-8FBB-4F00-A13F-5A0723EA03CE-3414-00000D19BB8E2321_zps7cc24e89.jpg


Is there a tasty way to fix brussel sprouts?

Also ...

I had some grilled asparagus over the holidays that was still firm and crunchy and was quite tasty w/ a little char and a little olive oil (I think that's what it was) ...

A6AE2989-ED4E-474E-A317-76418352858A-3414-00000D19AA3F7CA5_zpsf01d017e.jpg


Anyone have a tasty preparation for asparagus they'd care to share?

Always looking for tasty veggies to pair w/ meat entrees ... love to lose the taters/rice/pasta etc ...
 
We make asparagus on the regular. Grilled or roasted. Either way we usually make them the same. Drizzled with olive oil, garlic and a squeeze of lemon. Roasted in the oven on 450F for 20 mins or so. Goes good with anything.
 
Brussel sprouts are similar to other leafy veggies, in that if you let them get too big, they become bitter. Always look for the smallest heads you can find. Any way you cook other veggies then works - steam, roast, grill, etc.

When we do asparagus, after snapping off the hard (often white) ends, I bundle them together with a cooking rubber band (or tie with string), stand them up in a pot deep enough to be able to put the lid on, then steam them for a bit, about 10 minutes. Then I finish them off however - like HTH, drizzle with lemon, garlic and olive oil and either sautee, grill, roast, etc. Also be aware that with asparagus, the thicker the stem, the tougher. Try to find the most slender stalks.
 
Big Brussel Sprouts should be cut in half or at the very least, cut an X in the bottom of the stem.
Then Steam them until soft. Awesome just plain, or finish them with a dollop of Mayonnaise. trust.

Asparagus, grilled is awesome coated with EVOO.
Or toss them with OO, layer them in a pan, drizzle Balsamic Vinegar over them, sprinkle Garlic Salt and Pepper.
Roast in the oven at 450° for about 10 minutes, or until you like them.
 
Add a little Garlic Powder to the Mayo (you probably know that).

And HEAT! Add Moruga or 7Pot powder too. lol
 
I love brussels sprouts! Cut the stem off then cut in half lengthwise. Then roast them however you want, with garlic and oil, some parmigiano reggiano, whatever. Make sure to fry up some onion strings before hand and give them a dice. Now, toss the sprouts and onion bits together. AMAZING!

I did asparagus twice a certain was that was killer. After snapping the ends off (as mentioned, the fibrous end with break off naturally) saute in olive oil, lower the temp, add balsamic, and it becomes a balsamic reduction but it also infuses since you cooked while making the reduction, so it's not a drizzle on top, it's cooked into it. They are delish.
 
I'm not fond of brussel sprouts but asparagus is a different story. One of my fav ways was already mentioned above.
I cut/trim the bottoms (to your likings) wash....pat dry...lightly coat w/olive oil, dried garlic, sea salt... I have a fav mix spice I use then(no heat)... bake for 12 mins in convection oven @ 400 and then take out and bunch together and sprinkle a lil cheese on them then bake for 3-4 mins more. (works well doing on a grill with a veggi grate too).

..............
Something I've done in the past that makes a nice change is to cut your stems at the base and place the bunch in a tall glass and add a "crisp style beer" then bake or grill . It adds a nice flavor as the asparagus draws the fluid up into it...using a heavy beer(ale, dark ale..etc) didn't appeal to me much but it may for others.
food for thought...as they say :party:

Hope whatever you chose works out for ya.
 
Hollandaise sauce is lovely on asparagus. Brussels sprouts are less bitter (usually, not always) when they are harvested young. Choose smaller Brussels for a (usually) less bitter sprout. A small sprinkle of Adobo and butter on Brussels and steam until soft.
 
I like brussel sprouts, but rarely eat them. Asparagus on the other hand is something I do quite a bit.

Cut the ends off the asparagus. If it's white... no good. Cut in half and steam for about 20 minutes. Then it's straight to an ice bath. Bowl of water and ice for about 2 minutes. Drain and pat dry, put on plate, drizzle with Italian salad dressing and add some julienned pimentoes (or hot pepper of choice). Salt to taste... boom!

I like my asparagus cooked, but cold.
 
geeme said:
Since you did go for large brussel sprouts, if you don't like them this time, try again with smaller ones. The difference is remarkable. Also, try sauteeing them in bacon grease with onion (caramelize the onion first), and toss the bacon back in when done.
Click to expand...

You just triggered the lost memory of how the brussel sprouts got onto our TODO ... we saw someone fix them using bacon fat on The Best Thing I Ever Made or one of those shows ... might have been Alton Brown ...

looks like it was actually this one ...

Thanks though, that was bothering us ...
 
Sounds good like that, I can imagine them seared on the cut side and steamed on the top side, like pot stickers. Maybe steam first for that effect? And geeme knows about the onions.
 
The lack of a gas grill (have had many) is really getting to me ... but since I really prefer the Weber (which I have), I was plotting a smoker this year (which I've not yet had) ...
 
Prolly the recipe you linked to is it. I have to admit that the combo of bacon grease and butter is my total fav when it comes to a lot of veggies. Lima beans, brussel sprouts, spinach, asparagus, winter squash, bok choy, cabbage, green beans, mushrooms, carrots, rutabega, chiles, yams.............. all of them are good that way. No.... no..... all of them are GREAT that way. But yeah, that's usually treat stuff for me, as I've pretty much gotten away from anything remotely greasy.
 
One of my fav ways to have asparagus is to drizzle it w/ olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a splash of soy sauce! Then broil for just a few minutes, flip them, and broil for even less minutes (I'm horrible with times!). Something about that added soy is magical!!!!
 
Definitely look for the smaller brussel sprouts. They can also be trimmed, cut in half and steamed in the microwave. (glass bowl, cut brussels, splash of water, cover with plastic wrap and nuke. As with anything microwaved, nuke for a few, shake to stir, nuke, shake, etc, to ensure even cooking) Then saute in butter, evoo, bacon grease (or whatever combination ) garlic, S&P, seasonings MMmmmmm

This trick also works well to prep ahead. You can nuke or steam the cut sprouts and then chill. Right before dinner, saute and serve. Very Quick!

For Asparagus, if the stems are a little thick, snap off the ends as described, and then use a peeler to remove the skin on the lower half of each stem. Yea, it's kind of a pita to peel asparagus stems, but it does work and will give you less waste than just cutting off the whole stem up to the tender tip area.
 
These are my two favorite vegetables! So as not to f**k them up I ONLY fix them one way. I boil them and serve with butter and salt and pepper.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top